Telescoping post

ABSTRACT

A telescoping post in which sliding post sections can be locked into fixed positions relative to one another by the operation of a locking device. The telescoping post is retained between a floor and ceiling by a compression force caused by the operation of the locking device. The locking device consists of an apertured plate through which one of the sections of the telescoping post extends, and a pair of pivoted levers interconnected to one another into a toggle arrangement and designed to tilt the apertured plate by raising one side of it relative to the lower portion of the telescoping post.

United States Patent Simonsen 1 1 May 13, 1975 [541 TELESCOPING POST FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 lnvemorl Ole Finn Simonsen, Bllic 1,377,926 9/1964 France 248/354 R Quebec, Canada 680,616 10/1952 United Kingdom.... 248/354 C 7 I '1 [73] Assignee: Dominion Bridge Company Limited 996,261 1 /1951 France -48/35-1 1.

M t l, b C1 2d;

on ma Que ec m 1 1 Primary E.\'uminerMar1on Parsons, Jr. Filedl J y 1973 Assistant Eruminer-Robert W. Gibson, Jr. [21] Appl No 382,209 Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Larson, Taylor and Hinds [57] ABSTRACT [30] Forelgn Application Priority Data Mr V 14 197} Canada 171108 A telescoping post in which s11d1ng post sect1ons can be locked into fixed positions relative to one another 0 by the operation of a locking device. The telescoping 12?] lusccll. 248/354 1156425 212183 post is retained between a floor and ceiling by a com nt. g pression force Caused by the operation of the locking [58] Field of Search ..254/106,113,l14; d Th 1 d f t d 248/354R 354L 354C 35] 352 355 410 evice. e oc ng evice conslsso an aperure plate through WhlCl'l one of the sect1ons of the telescoping post extends, and a pair of pivoted levers in- [561 References C'ted terconnected to one another into a toggle arrange- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment and designed to tilt the apertured plate by rais- 270.012 1/1883 Burruss 254/106 ing one side of it relative to the lower portion of the 2,671,355 3/1954 Hawkins 248 352 ux telescoping post, 2,723,100 11/1955 Muschamp et al 248/354 R 3.734.441 5/1973 Lux 248 354 c 1 Clalm. 3 Drawlng Flgures TELESCOPING war This invention relates to safety fences and in particular to telescoping posts which are easily dismantled but which can provide reliable uprights for supporting adja cent and overlapping fence panels.

During the construction of muuti-story buildings it is often the case that once the successive floors have been built, a large number of operations have to be carried out before the surrounding walls can be erected. Safety fences are required for the safety of the workers and also for preventing accidental falling of objects lying on the floors.

The object of this invention is to provide a telescoping post which will be particularly well suited to the application of safety fences in high rise buildings under construction.

Experience has shown that the requirements for such posts are extremely numerous, and to name a few, the posts must be rugged, simple to maintain, have as few parts as possible and especially no loose parts, they must be adaptable to infinitely variable heights. In addition, they should be sufficiently light for easy handling, their installation should be feasible by one person without danger to the erector falling over the edge, and if at all possible, the installation should require no tools.

This invention provides a telescoping post comprising two telescopic members and a locking device adapted to be positioned between a floor and a ceiling and exert a compressive force against both floor and ceiling to prevent relative sliding of the members. The locking device consists of an apertured plate through which one of the post members extends, and a pair of toggle links urging one side of the apertured plate away from the other post member.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a section of safety fence between two vertically spaced apart floors,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a telescoping post in accordance with this invention with the locking means in the released position, and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the locking means shown in FIG. 2 but illustrated in the locked position.

With reference to FIG. 1, two spaced apart telescoping posts and are illustrated in upright position between spaced apart horizontal surfaces, a ceiling 21 and a floor 22. Posts 10 and 20 include a bracket or hook 23,24 designed to support the central cross pieces of fence panels 26, 27 and 28 which overlap one another at each post.

The fence panels can be of any construction provided they are sufficiently rigid, rugged and easy to install and preferably include a kick board such as at 29 which is designed to prevent accidental falling of objects of the floor 22.

Uprights 10, 20 are held in position due to the frietion between their respective boots 31 and 32 which bear directly against the ceiling 21 and the floor 22.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the telescoping post 40 consists of two interfitting tubes 41 and 42 and a locking means 50 illustrated in its re leased position in FIG. 2 and in its locked position in FIG. 3. V

Post member 42 is hollow and defines an internal rectilinear passage of constant cross section and in the il lustrated embodiment, post member 42 is a tube ofeir cular cross-section. Post member 41 which can also be a tube, has a slightly smaller cross-section than the internal passage of post member 42 such as to relatively closely fit within post member 42 to permit relative sliding.

Locking means consists of an apertured plate 51 through which post member 41 extends. The aperture in plate 51 corresponds generally to the cross-section of post member 4-1 but is slightly larger so as to permit tilting of plate 51 relative to the longitudinal axis of post member 41 as is particularly seen in FIG. 3. As an example, with a one-fourth inch thick plate the diameter of the aperture may be 1% inch for use in association with a post member 41 having an outside diameter of 1.315 inch The locking device further includes a pair of pivoted toggle links 55 and 56 and a lug 58 which is rigidly secured to post member 42. Links or levers 55 and 56 are pivoted to one another as at 61 and their free ends are pivoted to apertured plate 51 as at 62 and to lug 58 as at 63 respectively.

In order to facilitate actuation of the locking device to the locked position of FIG. 3 or to the released posi tion of FIG. 2, lever 55 carries as an extension a handle 65 which is moved towards post member 42 for engaging the locking device to the locked position. The extension handle 65 when in the locked position as shown in FIG. 3, acts as a clip to hold the top rails of panels 26 and 27. The pivotal connection between apertured plate 51 and lever 55 is effected by means of a pin 62 which is secured to the underside of aperture plate 51. A slot 72 in the plate 51 allows the lever 55 to pass through the plate 51, the pin 62 extending through an aperture in the top of the lever 55. The other pivotal connections 61 and 63 also consist of a pin extending through small apertures, with the axis of these three pivotal connections parallel to one another and transverse to the longitudinal axis of telescoping post 40. As seen in FIG. 3, pivotal connection 63 is spaced apart from post member 42.

With this arrangement, when boots 31 and 32 abut against spaced apart surfaces 21 and 22, actuation of handle 65 as seen in FIG. 2 to its position illustrated in FIG. 3 causes the right hand side edge of the apertured plate 51 to be urged upwardly forcing post member 42 upwardly relative to lug due to the wedging action of apertured plate 51 onto the adjacent region of post member 41. The resiliency of boots 31 and 32 absorbs this slight extra elongation of post 40 and maintains the structure in compression. Moreover, due to the fact that pivotal connections 62 and 63 are slightly spaced from the adjacent post members, the intermediate pivotal connection 61 can be moved beyond the point where levers 55 and 56 are in straight line thus producing a toggle effect for holding the locking means in the locked position.

For additional security, a pivoted pawl 73 can be provided on handle 65 which will cooperate with the bent portion 7 of lug 58 to prevent accidental release of telescoping post 40.

The boots are preferably made of rubber and in a preferred embodiment the geometry of the links is so quired amount and grip on the floor and ceiling to pre vent the post moving.

The embodiment of the invention in which on exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An infinitely adjustable telescoping post for extending between vertically spaced apart floors in a building under construction for use as a fence post in a temporary safety fence which also includes a plurality of panels having an upper rail and a middle rail, said telescoping post comprising a first post member having an elongated, rigid hollow body defining an internal rectilinear passage of constant cross-section;

a section post member having an elongated rigid body, one end portion of which having a constant cross-section and outer dimensions adapted to fit relatively closely in slidable telescoping relationship within said passage of said first post member;

a lug rigidly attached to said first post member and extending outwardly therefrom;

a locking means for retaining said first and second post members into extended telescoping relationship when said telescoping post is subjected to longitudinal compression, said locking means comprising an aperture plate having an aperture therein through which said second post member extends, said aperture plate having a portion thereof extending outwardly from said second post member forming a boss;

a first toggle link having a generally compressed S- shape with inner and outer substantially straight end portions and an integral mid portion interconnecting each end protion at an angle, thereby forming a first boss at the interconnection between the inner end portion and the mid portion and a second boss at the interconnection between the outer end portion and the mid portion, said first toggle link being pivotably connected at the inner end portion thereof to said aperture plate boss at a first pivot point a transverse distance from said second post member;

a second toggle link pivotably connected at one end thereof to said first boss at a second pivot point and pivotably connected at the other end to said lug at a third pivot point a transverse distance from said first post member, said outer end portion of said first toggle link comprising a handle extending along said second toggle link but slightly spaced therefrom so as to facilitate actuation of said locking means and for retaining the upper rail of the safety fence in position, the actuation of the locking means being effected by urging said handle toward said telescoping post for locking same and away from said telescoping post for releasing said second post member relative to said first post member whereby said toggle links are operable between a released position to a locking position, and when is said locking position said second pivot point is closer to said telescoping post than either said first or third pivot points thereby producing a toggle effect for holding the locking means in the locked position, and further when in said locking position, one side of said apertured plate is urged away from said lug along the axis of said telescoping post thereby to prevent sliding of said second post member within said passage when said telescoping post is subjected to longitudinal compression;

a relatively thick boot mounted on each end of said telescoping post, said boots made of rubber-like resilient material for facilitating the positioning of said locking means in the locked position and for acting as friction elements;

hook means operable to interconnect said toogle links and said first post member when said locking means is in the locking position whereby to prevent accidental release; and

a bracket rigidly mounted on said first post member for supporting the middle rail of the safety fence. 

1. An infinitely adjustable telescoping post for extending between vertically spaced apart floors in a building under construction for use as a fence post in a temporary safety fence which also includes a plurality of panels having an upper rail and a middle rail, said telescoping post comprising a first post member having an elongated, rigid hollow body defining an internal rectilinear passage of constant crosssection; a section post member having an elongated rigid body, one end portion of which having a constant cross-section and outer dimensions adapted to fit relatively closely in slidable telescoping relationship within said passage of said first post member; a lug rigidly attached to said first post member and extending outwardly therefrom; a locking means for retaining said first and second post members into extended telescoping relationship when said telescoping post is subjected to longitudinal compression, said locking means comprising an aperture plate having an aperture therein through which said second post member extends, said aperture plate having a portion thereof extending outwardly from said second post member forming a boss; a first toggle link having a generally compressed S-shape with inner and outer substantially straight end portions and an integral mid portion interconnecting each end protion at an angle, thereby forming a first boss at the interconnection between the inner end portion and the mid portion and a second boss at the interconnection between the outer end portion and the mid portion, said first toggle link being pivotably connected at the inner end portion thereof to said aperture plate boss at a first pivot point a transverse distance from said second post member; a second toggle link pivotably connected at one end thereof to said first boss at a second pivot point and pivotably connected at the other end to said lug at a third pivot point a transverse distance from said first post member, said outer end portion of said first toggle link comprising a handle extending along said second toggle link but slightly spaced therefrom so as to facilitate actuation of said locking means and for retaining the upper rail of the safety fence in position, the actuation of the locking means being effected by urging said handle toward said telescoping post for locking same and away from said telescoping post for releasing said second post member relative to said first post member whereby said toggle links are operable between a released position to a locking position, and when is said locking position said second pivot point is closer to said telescoping post than either said first or third pivot points thereby producing a toggle effect for holding the locking means in the locked position, and further when in said locking position, one side of said apertured plate is urged away from said lug along the axis of said telescoping post thereby to prevent sliding of said second post member within said passage when said telescoping post is subjected to longitudinal compression; a relatively thick boot mounted on each end of said telescoping post, said boots made of rubber-like resilient material for facilitating the positioning of said locking means in the locked position and for acting as friction elements; hook means operable to interconnect said toogle links and said first post member when said locking means is in the locking position whereby to prevent accidental release; and a bracket rigidly mounted on said first post member for supporting the middle rail of the safety fence. 